Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line are making the media rounds in preparation of the Feb. 15 release of their new studio album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, which will be their fourth studio album with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records (or its former imprint, Republic Nashville).
Tyler and Brian stopped by the Blair Garner Show on Feb. 12 for an interview that will air on Feb. 22, revealing to the host that they have one more record left on their Big Machine contract after the release of Can’t Say I Ain’t Country. And it sounds like T-Hubb and BK are going to test the free agency market when the contract expires in 2020, much like Taylor Swift, who was Big Machine’s flagship artist. In 2018, Taylor left Big Machine for Universal Music Group after releasing six studio albums with Borchetta.
As Blair and FGL were talking about the vast number of songs the duo recorded for the new album, some of which didn’t make the final track list, Brian and Tyler hinted at testing the market in 2020.
The excerpt below is an exclusive clip Nash Country Daily obtained:
“Is there going to be a day, then, that we will have the Unreleased Florida Georgia Line [album], because you certainly must have recorded and probably even went through the process of mastering all that stuff?” asks Blair.
“Probably when we own a hundred percent of it, Blair,” says Brian, as the duo begins to laugh. “Probably about a couple years from now.”
“You don’t own all your stuff?” asks Blair.
“Not far off,” says Brian.
“We still got a record deal, Blair,” says Tyler.
“We’re with Big Machine,” says Brian.
“Well, I know. He’s giving me a little wink, there. How much more in the contract?” asks Blair.
“Well, a year from this Friday [Feb. 15],” says Brian. “I don’t care. Start the bidding war, baby. Nah, we have one more record and we can release that a year from Friday.”
Big Machine’s current stable of country artists include Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Carly Pearce, Brett Young, Midland and more. From an outside perspective, Florida Georgia Line certainly appears to be Big Machine’s cash cow right now.
You can listen to Blair’s entire interview with Florida Georgia Line on The Blair Garner Show on Feb. 22.
